World Cup 2014: Roy Hodgson can't be blamed for England's lack of world class stars

The 1966 World Cup winner argues that England simply do not have enough players like Luis Suarez to win a World Cup

MANAUS, BRAZIL - JUNE 14: Coach Roy Hodgson of England in the mixed zone after the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil Group D match between England and Italy at Arena Amazonia on June 14, 2014 in Manaus, Brazil. (Photo by Dennis Grombkowski - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)

I once played tennis with John McEnroe. I was a reasonable club player, I’d been invited along for a little hit with him in front of the cameras at the opening of some new courts ... and obviously I couldn’t get near him.

I once played golf with Seve Ballesteros
. I had a very good swing, I did all the right things ... and he still smashed the ball 200 yards further than me on every hole.

I also learned to drive with a guy called Roger Clark, who was the best rally driver in the world at the time. I did everything Roger did but I was 30 seconds slower at doing it than he was ... 30 seconds per 100 yards.

Now, I’m not telling you these things just to name-drop but because, over the years of doing them, I reached this conclusion: the reason I was so far behind them all was simply because I wasn’t good enough at any of those sports.

It’s the very same conclusion we must now reach about England given their performances at the World Cup. We are nowhere near as good at football as many other nations and we’re just going to have to accept it.

Accept it and hope that, one day, we might just get our act together to the extent that we might be as good as them. But until that time comes we must face up to the fact that we’re always going to be among the also-rans.

Occasionally, one of that lot will produce a turn-up for the books. For instance, I backed a 28-1 winner at Royal Ascot
the other day. It was pure luck and I only backed it because I fancied the name.

But outsiders rarely triumph – more often than not the best come out on top. That was what happened on Thursday when England lost to Uruguay – Luis Suarez was the best player on the pitch and he came out on top.

He is a world-class footballer, he has been for some years, and he was the difference between the two sides.

When Suarez goes through there’s a probability he will score; when Daniel Sturridge goes through it’s just a possibility.

Some people are born to be great and some people are born to be good and a lot of the time those who fall into the first of those categories really don’t know why.

Look at Gazza and George Best, they had to live with their talents and in the end they drove them round the bend.

It’s not always a blessing. If you haven’t got the temperament and the right make-up for it all, it can become a bloody curse.

Suarez
won’t know why he is that much better than anyone in an England jersey. He’s only doing what comes naturally to him, and hopefully he will be able to handle the talent he was born with.

How Roy Hodgson would love to have a player with his ability in his ranks.

After England’s opening two performances Hodgson will come in for a lot of criticism, but he shouldn’t.

He’s the best England manager we have had for a long time and has handled himself very well.

He’s a very educated man, probably the most educated manager since Walter Winterbottom, and he has put together a side that has done as well as they possibly could.

We were never going to win the World Cup like we did in 1966, although I remain convinced we only won it that year because we were playing at home.

I know people will say ‘Oh, he’s only saying that because he didn’t play in the final’ but that’s not the reason. Bobby Charlton, Bobby Moore and Banksy all thought we were in with the best chance because we were playing at home.

So, no knee-jerk reactions, leave Roy in charge
. We won’t win the World Cup again until it’s staged in England again.